Between Belief and Barrier: EFL Teachers' Perceptions, Practices, and Constraints in Active Learning Implementation at Shinas Vocational College

Abstract

Active learning (AL) is considered a proven pedagogical approach that improves student engagement, critical thinking, and academic performance in EFL linguistic context The ongoing interest in the topic have not yet revealed any research on its implementation in Omani vocational colleges. This study investigates the perceptions, practices, and obstacles of EFL teachers in Shinas Vocational College, Oman towards active learning. A validated Likert-scale questionnaire was utilized to gather data from 28 EFL teachers, which was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicated that teacher perceptions of AL’s efficacy for motivating students to critically think and participate in lessons were positive and in agreement (M = 4.34). Teachers consistently utilized collaborative strategies, including group discussions and constructive feedback (M = 4.22) Nonetheless, there were also considerable institutional and structural barriers identified. The factors of heavy curriculum workload (M = 4.18); not enough resources inside the classroom (M = 4.14); and students not willing to do so were significant. These findings highlight the requirement for sustained and coordinated policy reforms, professional development of trainers and student readiness in Oman’s vocational education to respond to the National Vision 2040 reform agenda.